


As friends do

by Vreliskriri



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), DRK story spoilers, Dark Knight | DRK (Final Fantasy XIV), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Gen, Patch 5.4: Futures Rewritten, Rine and Alisaie are 19 and 20, Zenos: "My friend (derogatory)"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:06:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28008162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vreliskriri/pseuds/Vreliskriri
Summary: In the wake of the newest apocalypse, Rine relives her confrontation with Zenos. Old fears return to her. They would be too much to bear alone, but she isn't alone. When was she ever?
Relationships: Alisaie Leveilleur/Warrior of Light, Fray Myste & Warrior of Light
Kudos: 3





	As friends do

Rine needed to lie down. Curling up on her bedroom floor wasn’t ideal, but her head felt heavy in a way she couldn’t reason with. So much for rest. She clenched her hands into fists and waited for them to stop shaking.  
  
Zenos had crawled back from the dead for her. Not to haunt her, not even to hunt her as such. No, he’d sent out an invite. He waited, smiling, for her. They were friends now, the prince and his beast. She couldn’t forget that he _cared._ So Rine remembered, step after horrible step, the rooftop and how she had felt walking into his embrace. A liar with a knife. Had she accepted Zenos in earnest, he might have burned down the world to keep her warm. As friends do. 

Just as well, he could have had a knife and saved himself the trouble of commanding Shinryu. Maybe not. That would have been like Rine. He claimed to be. Might he have been right?

Not this again.  
  
**Listen…** **Listen up, and** ** _breathe._** **  
****  
** In. **  
****  
****You're no make-believe beast. You have a name. _You_ have a heartbeat.  
**

Out. **  
** ********

**Our slowing, steady beat.**

In. **  
** **  
****I will not let him get to it. You rest your head.  
**

Out. **  
** **  
****One more deep breath in… and out! Good.** **Better?  
**

"Thank you, Fray." For listening.

The tightness in Rine’s chest had unraveled a little, enough for her to get up and drink a glass of water. She knew who her friends were. She knew whom she loved and who kept her warm. Rine had _chosen_ to be kept. Right now she wanted Alisaie to hold her. All she'd have to do was ask.

It was good to be home.

**Author's Note:**

> Some context for this snippet! 
> 
> Making sense of the dynamics between my WoL and Zenos has been on my bucketlist for a while, and the new patch gave me the spoons to do it. The way I write him is he wants to be the kind of friend he thinks *he* needed growing up- someone who can make the WoL strong enough to give up trying to be a hero for a world that doesn't give her anything to fight for. If he destroys the world, Rine doesn't have to pretend anymore. 
> 
> In short, he sees a lot of himself in Rine and projects the rest. Meanwhile, Rine is f*cking terrified of him. 
> 
> In 5.4, the Lightweight Warrior is thankfully more in tune with herself than she was at 17. For a start, the difference she's made has sunk in. The world *is* tangibly changing for the better, even if she does need to keep saving it. The idea of another physical confrontation with Zenos terrifies her, but the Scions are there to help her prepare for it. More importantly, having that unconditional love and support around makes a huge difference in how vulnerable Rine is to Zenos' friendship. Think three vulnerability stacks compared to the former seven. Also Fray is there. I haven't yet fully figured out what to do with the DRK story, but I look forward to finding out. 
> 
> After the initial shock, Rine will be just fine! She'll want to savor the time with her girlfriend before the next patch.


End file.
